Excerpt from "Toxic Sludge is Good For You! Lies, Damn Lies, and the Public Relations Industry"

In 1980, a drunk driver killed the 13-year-old daughter of Candy Lightner. From this experience, Lightner created Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to publicize the suffering caused by drug and alcohol abuse.

In 1985 Lightner, left the organization over disagreements that included her desire to have MADD receive financial contributions from the liquor industry. She moved to Washington, DC, where she was hired by the American Beverage Institute, a liquor industry trade group, to help defeat MADD-supported laws that would toughen blood alcohol tests.